This past weekend I moved out of my studio after 14 years. I have been going through a range of emotions. Last night my spouse and I started looking at pictures from the past. So many different people have come through my life. I mean of course in my entire life, but these last 14 years have been extra special. I have been lucky to share company with others who value creativity and wellness in the same way that I do. Some have remained permanent fixtures in my life, some have not moved into the same chapters.

What an honor!
Creating the studio was no easy job and maintaining it this long has been both gratifying and exhausting. I am thankful to have crossed paths with those I have. A special thank you to each of you.

The piece above is a journal entry for my online journal meet-up today. I lead this group every other week. Our prompt was to choose a color and create a piece in a mindful way seeing where the color took the process. My color turned into a bruise. A "feelings bruise." My body is currently sore from all the work we did yesterday loading and unloading into storage. We will do it all one more time when the new studio is built. My heart also hurts. Walking out of the space yesterday was hard. I still have to go back and clean and take care of a few more details, but it was a goodbye. My piece is a culmination of my feelings and love around the transition in this art bruise.

I hope the next 14 years in the new space connects me with more creatives who share my vision.

If you are interested in following the transition or supporting the GoFundMe visit our story HERE

Many of you may have already heard, but I have made a difficult decision. I have decided to close the studio. I am going to reopen, but in the present I have decided to build a new studio on my own land. I have rented my space for 14 years. It has been a vibrant and engaging experience for me, full of many connections. I have many mixed feelings. I am giving myself room to process, but also I am looking ahead to all the new possibilities. I am really excited to be able to provide some new options for individuals with disabilities. New services will provide them the ability to show and sell their art. With the pandemic I have also become more experienced at teaching online. You can read all about the new era of the studio HERE and visit the GoFundMe campaign if you'd like to support the new vision. Any support is very much appreciated.

This week in our Art Journal Meet-up group we explored the idea of individuals who have impacted us in some way. The prompt was vague and artists were encouraged to take it any direction that felt right for them. We will be meeting up this afternoon to share our art. My journal entry is above. I initially was feeling like I didn't have time to make a piece this week, with all the work packing and organizing I have been doing. I felt like I should just catch up on emails, BUT I remembered "should's" are not always what we need. This piece came together quickly and was exactly what I needed to be doing. I dug through my collage and found the quote, "no man ever stands so tall as when he stoops to help a boy." I don't know who said it, but the strict male gendered voice bugged me. It was freeing to add my own pronouns to it changing it to, "no one every stands so tall as when they stoop to help another..."

I reflected on all the people who I have been impacted by. I realized it was too difficult to choose one at this moment. I found color swatches and scissors to represent the many choices we have in the world. The map swatch and the landscape represent my journey. The mushrooms for foraging in life. The bottle symbolic of the message in a bottle found in the ocean. Someone sending their thoughts into the world in hopes they will be read and received. The Anubis characters are representational of the guides in our transitions. Lastly, the paint...transferred from messy palettes left behind in my studio. Another symbol of those who have touch my life in this era.

I look forward to the next phase, I will miss the studio...my landlord. He has been an incredible support all these years. I would not have been able to sustain with any other. His patience...well he knows. I know that I will continue to do the work I have been called to do.

If you'd like information about the Art Journal Meet-up Group, it is FREE. We meet every other week. Contact me if you'd like to join! DETAILS HERE

Warmly,
Beth Ann